Choker hook



Dec.'31, 192B. Q F, HlCKOK 1,741,463

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GEORGE E HICKOK'. u A am? 3. I 2' /V 77X G. F. HICKOK CHOKER HOOK Dec. 3l, 1929.

Filed Dec. 5, 1928 Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i cnoxnn Hoox kApplication filed December 3, 1928. Serial No. 323,297.

My invention relates to improvements in choker hooks, for detachably securing the noose ends of choker cables in logging operations, wherein a ferrule; secured upon the end of the cable, is arranged to be inserted into an axial recess formed in the body of the hook and to be detachably secured therein by means of a latch movable to admit the ferrule therepast and adapted to be moved automatically lo; to operative position by the ferrule when the cable is ldrawn taut.

The primary object of my inventionyis to provide an improved choker hook.

Another object is to provide an improved 15. choker hook which will facilitate the securing of the noose end of a choker cable upon a log and which will effectually prevent disengagement when in use.

A further object is to provide an improved 201 device which will permit the noose to be applied and secured with a. minimum of slack, thereby preventing buckling or kinking of the cable.

A further object is to provide an improved device of the character described wherein a latch is arranged to be displaced to admit the ferrule of a choker cable and to be automatically moved by pressure from the ferrule for swinging the latch to an operative position j securing the ferrule within the hook and forming a rigid seat for the ferrule whereby the stress in service is distributed uniformly throughout the body of the hook.

Another object is to provide an improved 'L construction wherein the choker ferrule and cable is applied and removed in an axial directionY to facilitate the placing and removing of the cable.

A still further object is to provide an im- 1 proved construction which is simple and ellicient and which insures an automatic engaging of the ferrulev when the choker cable is drawn taut.

I accomplish these and other obj ects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the specification and drawings; and in which `rule entering and in mid-position withy the latch depressed;

Fig. e is a similar view disclosing the ferrule moved past the latch and the latter partly released and engaged bythe ferrule;

. Fig. 5 is a similarview disclosing the ferrule seated upon the closed latch;

Fig. 6 is a'bottom plan view;

Fig. 7 is a section taken upon line 7 7 of 3 in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 8 is a partly broken view showing the application of my improved choker hook to a log.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l is used to designate in general a choker hook boc y ha-vino' a slip-sleeve 2 formed upon one end thereof, and having an opening 3 formed in the opposite end to communicate with an axial recess e formed within the body. A latch 6 is pivotally mounted within the recess 4 upon a suitable pivot pin 7 extending through one side of the body. The latch 6 is arranged to normally seat upon flanges 5V formed within the outer end of the recess e' 80 adjacent the sides of the opening 3. A slot 8 is formed in the free end of the latch 6; and the end portions of the latch adjacent the open end of the slot 8 are beveled to form curved latch displacing surfaces 9.

The body 1 is cast or forged as an integral block, the' sides of the recessed portion being cored or otherwise formed with longitudinally disposed slots 11 to reduce the weight of said body. The latch 6 is provided with an enlarged base portion 12 received within an enlarged portion 13 of one of the slots 11, and the body of the latch is arranged to be inwardly disposed to aposition at substantially right angles to its normal operative position, ythe edges of the latch being received within enlarged portions 14 of the recess.

. The enlarged base portion l2 of the latch is accessible through the adjacent slot 11 and enlarged portions 13 thereof whereby the latch may be moved manually to its inoperative position within the side of the recess whereby an operator may move the latch to said inoperative position without inserting his lingers into the recess 4. The pivot pin 7 is arranged in an eccentric position through the enlarged base portion 12 to facilitate the manualdisplacing of the latch from its operative position.

The opening` 3 is of a size adapted to admit a ferrule 16 secured upon the noose end oi' a choker cable 17 in the ordinary and well known manner. The iierrule 16 is inserted through the opening` 3 and into the recess 4 by pressing the latch to its inoperative position within the side or the recess 4, the tace of said latch being formed with a concave groove 18 adapted to receive the adjacent surface of the ferrule to reduce the size and vclearance necessary to admit the ferrule past the latch. When in the displaced position, the latch protrudes slightly from the wall of the body into the recess 4, and a spring 19 is preferably mounted within one or both of the enlarged portions 14 ot' the recess 4 to project the free end of the latch outwardly from said enlarged portions and into the recess after the 'errule has been moved inwardly past the latch. The wall opposite the latch 6 is formed with a curved surface 2l adjacent the back of the recess to shift the ferrule transversely within the recess into the clearance over the protruding beveled ends of the latch 6.

In operation, the noose end of the choker cable 17, threaded through the slip-sleeve 2 in the ordinary manner, is extended around a log 22 or other object, and the errule 1G inserted axially into the recess 4 past the latch 6. The ferrule is started in a position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and as the ferrule is inserted and moved inwardly into the recess, the latch is displaced rom its normal position to an inoperative position within the side of the recess to admit the errule therepast, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. As the ferrule is moved past the end of the displaced latch, the curved surface 21 causes the fer-rule to be moved transversely into the clearance over the ends of the latch, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Vhen now the cable 17 is drawn taut, or any pull exerted to move the ierrule outwardly from the recess, the end of the ferrule is moved against the beveled end portions of the latch 6 and the curved surfaces 9 cause the latch to be swung outwardly across the recess 4 as indicated in full lines in Fig. 4, the further movement oit the ferrule causing the latch to be moved to its operative position seated upon the flanges 7 to form a seat for the errule 16, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The cable 17 is received within the slot 8 to permit said cable to extend outwardly from the recess 4 in axial relation to the body l, the tension from said cable operating to hold the ferrule seated upon the latch 6 and said latch seated upon the flanges 5 to etfectually secure the ferrule Within the recess 4 and thereby secure the noose around the log, as shown in Fig. 8.

While the cable 17 is in tension, the latch is o'l course held rigidly in operative position. Should the tension be released, and any slack occur so that the ferrule might possibly be unseated from the latch, the latch will normally be held by gravity in its operative position to be reengaged by the ferrule when tension is again applied. Even in the event that the body is so positioned that the latch will be swung away from its normal position in case the tension is released and the ferrule moved inwardly away :trom the latch, still an outward pull, as when tension is again applied, will cause the ferrule to engage the end portions oi' the latch as above described and thereby move the latch back to operative position and prevent the ferrule :from being disengaged from the hoek.

To release the ferrule from the hook body 1, the errule is moved inwardly to its extreme position and the latch is moved manually, preferably by pressure upon the outer edge of the enlarged portion 12, to its inoperative position. lhe :terrule is then moved transversely to clear the end portions of the latch,

thus permitting the ferrule to `be withdrawn v axially from the recess 4. The transverse clearance is such that any ordinary pull ex" erted upon the cable to remove the ferrule from the recess will cause the ferrule to engage the end portions of the latch, a transverse movement being required simultaneously with the axial outward movement to permit the ferrule to be moved outwardly past the latch. In this manner, an inadvertent releasing oit the ferrule from the hook is eficectually prevented.

It will be noted that in my improved device, the errule is inserted axially into the recess 4. This permits the ferrule .to be moved into operative engagement with the hook with a minimum of slack in the cable 17, thereby tacilitating the attachmenty of'the noose upon a log, and at the same time greatly reducing the possibility of buckling or kinking the cable. rIhe retaining latch seats Hush upon the flanges 5 in such a manner that no strain is imposed upon the pivot pin 7 and insuring an equal distribution of strain throughout the body 1 of the hook when in service.

Vhile I have illustrated `my improved choker hook only in what. I now regard as its preferred embodiment, ther specific details ,of construction and arrangement may of course be modilied in numerous ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. 1 I

therefore do not wish to restrict myself to the specific details disclosed, but desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof and an axial recess to receive a ferrule secured upon the noose end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating upon the inner surface of the flanges; said latch being movable into an enlarged portion of the recess to admit the ferrule therepast and having a slot adapted to receive the cable, whereby the latch may be moved to operative position between the ferrule and the flanges to form a seat for the ferrule and to detachably retain said ferrule within the recess.

2. A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof-and an axial recess to receive a ferrule secured upon the noose end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating upon the inner surfaces of the flanges, said latch being movable into an enlarged portion of the recess to admit the ferrule therepast and having a slot adapted to receive the cable, whereby the latch may be moved to operative position between the ferrule and the flanges to form a seat for the ferrule and to detachably retain said ferrule within the-recess; and beveled edges formed upon the free end of the latch to be engaged by the ferrule and thereby move the latch to operative position when the cable is drawn taut.

3. A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof and an axial recess to receive a ferrule secured upon the noose end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating upon the inner surfaces of the flanges, said latch being movable into an enlarged portion of the recess to admit the ferrule therepast and having a slot adapted to receive the cable; whereby the latch may be moved to operative position between the ferrule and the flanges to form a seat for the ferrule and to detachably retain said ferrule within the recess; beveled edges formed upon the free end of the latch to be engaged by the ferrule and thereby move the latch to operative position when the cable is drawn taut; and an inclined surface formed within the back of the recess to move the ferrule transversely into alinement with said beveled edges as said ferrule is moved inwardly past the latch.

4. A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof. and an axial recess -to receive a ferrule secured upon the end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating against the inner surfaces of the flanges; said latch being movable into an enlarged portion of the recess and having a groove upon the side adjacent the flange to admit the ferrule therepast and also having a slot adapted to receive the cable; and beveled edges formed upon the free end of the latch to be engaged by the ferrule when moved therepast, said ends being shaped to swing `the latch to operative position seated upon the flange and forming a seat for the ferrule when the ferrule is moved outwardly against the end of the latch.

5. A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof and an axial recess to receive a ferrule secured upon the end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally ymounted within t-he recess and normally seating against the inner surfaces of the flanges, said latch being movable into an enlarged portion of the recess and having a groove upon the side adjacent the flange to admit the ferrule therepast and also having a slot adapted to receive the cable; beveled edges formed upon' the free end ofthe latch to be engaeed'by the ferrule when moved therepast; said ends being shaped to swing the latch to operative position seated upon the flange and forming a seat for the ferrule when the ferrule is moved outwardly against thev end of the latch; and means for moving the latch outwardly from the enlarged portion of the recess to be engaged y the ferrule.

" v 6. A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof and an axial recess to receive a ferrule secured upon the end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating'against the inner surfaces of the flanges; said latch being movable into an enlargedportion of the recess and having a groove `'upon the side adjacent the flange to admitv the ferrule therepast and, also having a slot adapted to receive the cable; beveled edges formed upon the free end of the latch to be engaged by the ferrule when moved therepast; said ends being shaped to swing the latch to operative position seated upon the flange and forming a seat for the ferrule when the ferrule is moved outwardly against the end of the latch; and a spring mounted within the enlarged portion of the recess to displace the latch therefrom when the ferrule is moved inwardly therepast.

7 A choker hook comprising a body having an opening in one end thereof and an axial recess to receive a ferrule secured upon u-s nel the end of a choker cable; inwardly disposed flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating upon the flange, said latch having a slot adapted to receive the cable and being movable into an enlarged portion of the recess .to admit the ferrule therepast; beveled edges formed upon the free end of the latch and arranged to be engaged by the ferrule to swing the latch into operative position when the ferrule is moved against said end whereby the latch is moved to form a seat for the ferrule and detachably secure the ferrule within the recess; an inclined surface formed within the recess to move the ferrule transversely into engagement with said beveled edges as said ferrule is moved inwardly past the latch; and means for displacing the latch outwardly from the enlarged portion of the recess.

8. A choker hook comprising a body having a slip-sleeve formed upon one end to receive a choker cable; an opening and an axial recess formed in the opposite end of the body to receive a ferrule secured upon the noose end of the cable; inwardly extending flanges formed adjacent the opening; a latch pivotally mounted within the recess and normally seating upon the flange, said latch having a slot adapted to receive the cable and being E movable into an enlarged portion of the recess to admit the errule therepast; and beveled edges formed upon the free end of the latch to be engaged by the ferrule when the said ferrule is moved inwardly therepast, said ends being shaped to swing the latch to operative position seated upon the flange and forming a seat for the errule when said ferrule is moved outwardly against the end of the latch whereby the ferrule is detachably secured within the recess.

ln witness whereof; I hereunto set my signature.

GEORGE F. HICKOK. 

